Performers take to stage as music festival gets underway

Joseph Keith

Hundreds of talented performers will showcase their skills when Pontefract Music Festival gets underway tomorrow (Friday).

Around 250 musicians will perform at venues across the town during the festival, which runs until March 14.

The festival will start at The King’s School, Mill Hill Lane, Pontefract, tomorrow with school choirs performing between 1pm and 2.30pm.

Adult choirs will take to the stage at Central Methodist Church, off Jubilee Way, Pontefract, between 7pm and 9pm.

On Saturday March 7 duets, solos and comedy songs will be performed by youngsters at Central Methodist Church from 10am and in the evening there will be a number of open age performers appearing from 6.30pm.

The festival will resume the following week with piano, brass and woodwind performances at Central Methodist Church on Friday, March 13 and a closing concert at the same venue will take place on Saturday March 14 from 7pm.

Norman Dale, festival committee chairman, said: “We’re very excited the festival is going ahead and we are looking forward to the launch.

“I’m really pleased about the positive attitude towards the festival that we have seen this year and we hope everyone comes along and enjoys themselves.

“We are already looking forward to planning the festival for 2016.”

Organisers had feared the festival may not go ahead this year due to a lack of applicants, but it was saved after a flood of late entries last month.